San Diego to fight ruling letting strip clubs stay open

SAN DIEGO (AP) — While California's new stay-at-home order has shut down restaurant dining, shuttered salons and kept church services outside, two strip clubs in San Diego are still welcoming patrons nightly, protected by a court order.

San Diego County officials on Wednesday voted 3-2 to appeal the judge's ruling that has allowed Pacer Showgirls International and Cheetahs Gentleman’s Club to stay open after the establishments sued the county and state over being ordered to close their doors.

The judge issued a preliminary injunction Nov. 6, protecting the establishments from enforcement actions by state and local officials, though the businesses must still adhere to a 10 p.m. curfew and close early. County officials said they will wait to see if the judge lifts his injunction at a hearing next week given the new stay-at-home order. If not, supervisors vowed to appeal.

The adult entertainment venues sued the county in October after officials deemed strip clubs a non-essential business and ordered them to close indoor operations amid spiraling cases that moved San Diego into the state's top tier of purple for restrictions.

This week, San Diego along with most of the state was shut down even further as hospital bed capacity in intensive care units fell to dangerously low levels.

The clubs say they are operating safely by keeping dancers six feet or more apart and requiring everyone wear masks. Steve Hoffman, the attorney for Cheetahs, said the business consulted with coronavirus experts who said there is no evidence of increased risk if dancing is allowed.

County officials said that's not enough to comply with the state order, which bars members of different households from gathering.

“I’m guessing most folks aren’t going there with all the members of their household, so you have multiple households...